Lunch kit



March 5, 1957 J. R. BROWN ET AL LUNCH KIT Filed Aug. 24, 1954 (/Of/N e. 620W Ara/A 'BEOW/V IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent LUNCH KIT John R. Brown and Lydia Brown, Marysville, Calif. Application August 24, 1954,Serial No. 451,768 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-4) This invention relates to a lunch primary object to support a kit and has for its vacuum bottle within a lunch box in such a manner as to avoid breakage thereof, and to protect portions of a lunch packed in the kit from saturation should the vacuum bottle become broken.

A further object is to adequately ventilate the lunch kit and provide for the identification of the owner thereof.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a relatively deep bottom compartment adapted to contain a vacuum bottle, a relatively deep top compartment carried by the bottom compartment for movement relative thereto through an arc of 180 from an open position in which it lies adjacent one side of the bottom compartment to a closed position in which it lies above the bottom compartment, separable fasteners carried by the bottom and top compartments for releasably holding the compartments closed, a bail pivotally connected to opposite ends of the top compartment to define a carrying handle for the kit, and a partition wall carried by the bottom compartment for movement in a vertical arcuate path of 180 into closing relation to the bottom compartment when the top compartment is open and engagement with the vacuum bottle contained in the bottom compartment.

Other features include resilient extensible members carried by the bottom compartment and extending transversely thereacross adjacent opposite ends thereof to define yielding cradles for a vacuum bottle supported in the bottom compartment.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lunch kit embodying the features of this invention showing it closed with the bail handle in operative position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the lunch kit open;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the lunch kit illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4- is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through adjacent walls of the bottom and top compartments and showing the partition in upright position; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the snap by which the partition is held in closed relation to the top compartment.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the illustrated device comprises a bottom compartment designated generally 19 which includes a bottom Wall 12, side walls 14 and 16 and end walls 18. The bottom compartment is relatively deep, as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings, and riveted or otherwise secured as at 20 to opposite side walls 14 and 16 adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending transversely across the compartment in spaced relation to the bottom wall 12 are resilient and stretchable members 22 defining cradles for the sup port of a vacuum bottle designated B which, as illustrated, occupies substantially the entire bottom compartment 10.

Hingedly coupled as at 24 to the edge of the side wall 14 remote from the bottom 12 is a side wall 26 of a top 2,783,874 Patented Mar. 5, .1957

compartment designated generally 28 which includes a top wall 30, side walls 26 and 32 and end walls 34 and 36. Hingedly connected as at 38 to the side walls 14 and 26 of the bottom and top compartments 10 and 28, respectively, is a partition wall 40 which is adapted to separate the bottom and top compartments when the kit is closed, as illustrated in Figure 1. A suitable latch 42 is carried by the partition wall 40 adjacent the edge thereof remote from that which is hinged to the side walls 14 and '26 and this latch 42 cooperates with a latch keeper 44 for detachably connecting the partition 40 with the wall 32 in closing relation to the top compartment 28. .ln the preferred form of the invention, the end wall36 is provided with vents 46 to provide ventilation for the upper compartment when the lunch kit is closed. Pivotally connected at 48 to opposite end walls 34 and 36 are the legs of a substantially U-shaped bail 56 by means of which the kit may be carried. Latches 52 are carried by the walls 1-6 and 32 which may be of conventional form to hold the top 28 in position over the bottom 10.

In use, the kit is packed by first placing a filled vacuum bottle B on the cradles 22 after which the partition 40 may be extended across the open upper side of the bottom compartment 10, while the top compartment 28 is being packed with 'foods to be carried by the kit. After the top compartment 28 has been packed, the partition wall 40 is moved about the pivot 38 to close the open side of the top compartment and the partition is retained in closing relation by the latch 42 and latch keeper 44. With the partition wall 40 closing the open side of the compartment 28, the top compartment is swung about its pivots 24 into closing relation with the bottom compartment 10 so that the partition wall 40 will bear lightly against the vacuum bottle B which will thereby be slightly depressed into the lower compartment in the cradles 22 so that the bottle will be resiliently clamped against accidental shifting within the lower compartment Iii. With the latches 52 holding the top compartment on the bottom. compartment, the kit may be transported by using the bail 50 as a carrier handle.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination "and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lunch kit, a first compartment having an open side and side walls, end Walls, and a bottom wall, said side walls having upper portions at said open side, resilient and stretchable members extending between said side walls and spaced along said side walls, said members being longer than the distance between the side walls and having ends secured to upper portions of the side Walls, with portions of said members depending below said upper portions of the sidewalls and being spaced above said bottom wall, and a vacuum bottle disposed endwise in said compartment and resting upon said members out of contact with said bottom wall, a cover engagea'ble with upper portions of compartment Walls and arranged to cover the open side of the compartment in a closed position of the cover and to bear upon and press the vacuum bottle downwardly in the compartment against the resistance of said resilient and stretchable members, and means for holding the cover in closed position.

2. In a lunch kit, a first compartment having an open side and side walls, end walls, and a bottom wall, said side walls having upper portions at said open side, resilient and stretchable members extending between said side walls and spaced along said side walls, said members being longer than the distance between the side walls and having ends secured to upper portions of the side walls, with portions of said members depending below said upper portions of the side walls and spaced above said bottom wall, and a vacuum bottle disposed endwise in said com par'tment and resting upon said members out of contact with said bottom wall, a cover engageable with upper portions of compartment walls and arranged to cover the open side of the compartment in a closed position of the cover and to bear upon and press the vacuum bottle downwardly in the compartment against the resistance of said resilient and stretchable members, and means for holding the cover in closed position, said means comprising a second compartment hinged on said first compartment at the open side of the first compartment and 7 arranged to occupy a closed position over the open side of the first compartment and upon said cover so as to maintain said cover in its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED ST ES PATENTS Torrey Apr. 4, 1911 Nyberg Feb. 2, 1915 Labodie et 'al Mar. 20, 1917 Gautier May 2, 1939 I- istand Dec. 21, 1948 Gibbs Oct. 31, 1950 Jaquette Aug. 12, 1952 Kessell Mar. 16,1954

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 19, 1926 Sweden Aug. 20, 1946 

